1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to an electronic equipment and television game machine having a heat-radiating structure. More particularly, the invention relates to an electronic equipment and television game machine having a heat-radiating structure which is applicable for the electronic equipment, such as home-use video game machines and DVD players, incorporating semiconductor devices (CPU, etc.) and adapted to release the heat generated upon operation of digital processing, such as image processing, by the semiconductor devices and prevent the semiconductor devices from being thermally broken down.
2. Description of the Prior Arts
The electronic equipment, such as personal computers, home-use video game machines (TV game machines) and DVD players, incorporate therein a printed board mounting semiconductor devices, such as a central processor unit (CPU) for high-speed processing and image processor unit. There is a need to dissipate, to an outside, the heat generated from the semiconductor devices or printed board, in order not to break down the semiconductor devices due to the heat.
There are known Japanese Patent Laid-open No. 49259/1998 (Prior Art 1) and Japanese Patent Laid-open No. 51170/1998 (Prior Art 2), as conventional electronic equipment heat-radiating or cooling structures. Prior Art 1 has a heat-radiating plate directly connected to semiconductor devices, such as a CPU, to allow for spontaneous heat radiation through the heat-radiating plate (spontaneous heat-radiating scheme). Prior Art 2 discloses a technology that a small-sized fan is installed in a position above a CPU and the like to provide forcible heat radiation (forcible heat-radiating scheme in FIG. 8 to FIG. 10) and further a scheme that a heat-radiating plate is connected to the CPU and the like and a heat pipe is attached to the heat-radiating plate so that the heat-radiating plate and heat pipe is extended to a position of the small fan to perform forcible cooling (forcible cooling scheme in FIG. 1 to FIG. 7).
Meanwhile, in order for reducing the thickness, the conventional notebook personal computer has arrangement, in different areas in plan, of an optical information reading unit for reading from optical information recording mediums and a printed board mounting semiconductor devices such as CPU.
In the spontaneous heat-radiating scheme of Prior Art 1, the semiconductor devices can be prevented from being thermally broken down at low cost. However, a sufficient heat-radiating effect is unavailable for those having a high operating frequency of the CPU, etc. for high-speed processing or highly integrated semiconductor devices with great heat generation. In the spontaneous heat-radiating scheme, generally there is a limitation in volume of an electronic-equipment housing to nearly 10 W/1 litter. It is said that, where this is exceeded, there is a need to employ a forcible heat-radiating scheme or forcible cooling scheme.
In the forcible heat-radiating scheme of Prior Art 2, the arrangement of a small fan is restricted to a position of mounting the semiconductor devices including the CPU. This, however, inflicts limitation on position of arranging input/output connectors or external storage devices for the electronic equipment, resulting in influence on the heat-radiating effect as the arrangement position may be.
In the forcible cooling scheme of Prior Art 2, there is a necessity of providing a mesh wick inside the pipe and using a heat pipe to flow back vapor stream and condensation liquid, the heat pipe being extremely expensive. Furthermore, the small fan (heat-radiating fan) uses aluminum die-casting and hence the small fan is expensive, resulting in extremely expensive cost for the overall cooling system. Accordingly, the forcible cooling scheme is extremely expensive in cost for cooling efficiency. Also, in the forcible cooling scheme, the semiconductor devices is restricted in arrangement by a shape of the heat pipe and radiation plate, thus losing the freedom in design of the circuit board (printed board) and imposing restriction on housing design.
Meanwhile, where the electronic equipment is a notebook personal computer, it is usually used on the desk or knee and hence free from problems even if its size is large in plan. However, where the electronic equipment is a home-use television game machine, it is used in a place nearby a home-use television receiver and, in many cases, on the floor. In such a case, the form in plan if large is obstructive. However, if small in thickness, it is readily trodden by a user. If a flat-type television game machine is trodden on by the user, the various interior parts are probably damaged, besides the damage to the housing. If the damage was to a printed board mounting an expensive optical information reading unit, CPU, etc., repair cost would be expensive possibly resulting in a problem of increased burden upon the user.
Therefore, it is a primary object of the present invention to provide an electronic equipment and television game machine having a heat-radiating structure to provide a preferable heat-radiating effect to such an extent as not to thermally damage semiconductor devices at low cost, and excellent cost performance.
Another object of the present invention is to provide an electronic equipment and television game machine having a heat-radiating effect high in heat-radiating effect, despite cheap in structure, by properly selecting the structure of a heat-radiating member and a positional relationship between an air intake, an air exit and a heat-radiating fan for forcible air discharge.
A still another object of the present invention is to provide an electronic equipment and television game machine having a heat-radiating structure which is inexpensive but excellent in heat-radiating effect without the need of using an expensive heat pipe or a small-sized fan using aluminum die casting.
A yet another object of the present invention is to provide an electronic equipment and television game machine having a heat-radiating structure which is small in plan, not obstructive upon use but capable of reducing the possibility of being trodden by mistake, wherein, even if trodden by mistake, the interior parts are less damaged.
An electronic equipment having a heat-radiating structure (a first invention of claim 1) comprises at least one semiconductor device, a printed board, a housing, a radiating member and a radiating fan. The semiconductor device, by its operation, effects a desired operation of the electronic equipment and has heat generation during the operation, which includes for example a central processing unit (CPU), an image processing unit, a sound-source processing unit, a semiconductor memory and so on. At least one semiconductor device is mounted on the printed board. The housing has a space for accommodating therein the printed board, and is structured having an air exit formed in a side surface and an air intake formed in a position distant from the air exit to have an air flow passage to allow air on a line connecting between the air exit and the air intake (any of a straight line or a curved line). The heat-radiating member is arranged on the air flow passage within the housing, structured in electric insulation from the semiconductor device and to transfer the heat generated from the semiconductor device, and has a plurality of grooves formed along the air flow passage. The heat-radiating fan is provided between at least one of the air intake and the air exit and one end of the heat-radiating member closer thereto.
In this invention, the heat generated from the semiconductor device is conveyed to the heat-radiating member and then dissipated through a plurality of heat-radiating fins on the heat-radiating member. When the heat-radiating fan is rotated to intake air through the air intake and/or forcibly discharge (or ventilate) it through the air exit, cool air (ambient air) outside the housing is taken through the air intake. The cool air is caused to flow along the air flow passage including the grooves of the heat-radiating member whereby it is forcibly discharged together with the heat dissipated from the heat-radiating member to the outside of the housing through the air exit. This cools the heat-radiating member and the semiconductor device.
According to this invention, with a comparatively inexpensive structure a unique effect is provided that a preferred heat-radiating effect is obtainable in such an extent as to prevent the semiconductor device from being thermally broken down, providing a heat-radiating structure excellent in cost performance.
Also, in this invention, by properly selecting a positional relationship between the air intake, the air exit and the heat-radiating fan for forcible discharge and providing a proper structure to the heat-radiating member, a unique effect is provided that high radiation effect is available with a cheap structure without the necessity of using a heat pipe.
An electronic equipment according to this invention is an electronic equipment to be used connected to a display device and removably attached with an optical information recording medium optically recording data for image display, and comprises an optical information reading unit, at least one semiconductor element, a printed board, a housing, a heat-radiating member and a heat-radiating fan. The semiconductor device, by its operation, effects a desired operation of the electronic equipment and has heat generation during the operation, which includes for example a central processing unit (CPU), an image processing unit, a sound-source processing unit, a semiconductor memory and so on. A semiconductor device is mounted on the printed board. The housing has attaching portion formed in a top surface thereof to removably attach an optical information recording medium and a space for stacking and accommodating, at least, the optical information reading unit and the printed board in a height direction, to accommodate the optical information reading unit in a position related to the attaching portion and the printed board in a position below the optical information reading unit with a predetermined spacing and form an air exit in a side surface related to an accommodating position of the printed board in the height direction and an air intake in a position distant from the air exit to have an air flow passage to allow air on a line connecting between the air exit and the air intake. The heat-radiating member is arranged on the air flow passage within the housing, structured in electric insulation from the semiconductor device and to transfer the heat generated from the semiconductor device, and has a plurality of grooves formed along the air flow passage. The heat-radiating fan is provided between at least one of the air intake and the air exit and one end of the heat-radiating member closer thereto.
In this invention, in use, an optical information recording medium is attached on the optical information reading unit. The optical information reading unit reads out data for image display recorded on the optical information recording medium. The semiconductor device processes the data for image display read by the optical information reading unit thereby generating image data for display and supplying it to the display device, during operation of which heat is generated. The heat generated from the semiconductor device is conveyed to the heat-radiating member and then dissipated through a plurality of heat-radiating fins on the heat-radiating member. When the heat-radiating fan is rotated to intake air through the air intake and/or forcibly discharge (or ventilate) it through the air exit, cool air (ambient air) outside the housing is taken through the air intake. The cool air is caused to flow along the air flow passage including the grooves of the heat-radiating member whereby it is forcibly discharged together with the heat dissipated from the heat-radiating member to the outside of the housing through the air exit. This cools the heat-radiating member and the semiconductor device.
Preferably, the printed board and the heat-radiating member are covered by a metal case in a box form. Air flows along the air flow passage including the grooves on the heat-radiating member while the heat is being confined in the metal case, thereby being efficiently discharged. This reduces the heat transfer to an outside of the metal case and suppresses thermal bad effect upon other parts.
Furthermore, according to this invention, because the optical information reading unit and the printed board are stacked and accommodated within the housing, the housing can be reduced in plan shape. In use on the floor, the equipment is less obstructive and reduces the possibility of treading on by the user. In the event of treading on by mistake, a unique effect is provided that various interior parts be less damaged.
The above described objects and other objects, features, aspects and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent from the following detailed description of the present invention when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.